AMBLESIDE bowler Neil Mather has been banned for one year for assaulting an umpire....

AMBLESIDE bowler Neil Mather has been banned for one year for assaulting an umpire.

The punishment has been handed out by the Disciplinary Panel of the Warwickshire League after an investigation into the incident during Ambleside's Division Four East fixture at A.E.I. (Rugby) on July 14.

The commission also awarded the match and the full 20 points to A.E.I. with Ambleside recording a loss and no points.

Umpires John Statham and David Smith called a halt to the game following an incident involving Statham and Mather.

Their decision was taken after Mather had pushed the 67-year-old official to the ground after Statham had declined an LBW appeal.

The umpires then asked Ambleside skipper Ian Gilling to request Mather leave the field - but Mather refused and the game was promptly abandoned.

Days later the Coventry and District Umpires' Association took the unprecedented step of refusing to cover matches involving Ambleside.

A statement by the disciplinary panel said: "The Warwickshire Cricket League cannot condone physical intimidation and consequently have banned Neil Mather from their competition for one year.

"The severity of the ban has taken into account the prompt action of Ambleside CC in suspending the player, and is effective from the date of the incident."

Mather will miss 18 matches and will also be excluded from playing in any other league which has membership of the League Cricket Conference.

The panel also discussed Mather's team-mate Paul Graham, who used foul and abusive language to the official.